As much as most of us are loathe to even think about it, Christmas is steadily creeping closer. It’s now less than 100 days away!

Before we know it, festive adverts will soon dominate our televisions, and from every supermarket speaker will rattle a relentless barrage of cutesy jingles. Bah! Bah humbug, I say!

Leaving our gripes to one side for a moment, planning for Christmas now is a wise move – by taking just a few small steps each week, you can save yourself a ton of aggravation come December.

1. Get brutal with your pressie list

Will your neighbour’s Christmas really be ruined by the absence of a gift from you? Does that cousin who you haven’t seen since that wedding in 2007 really need a present, or are you spending money on them because you feel like you have to?

It’s easy to fall prey to this kind of thinking, and worrying that not getting a present for someone will hurt their feelings. To be honest though, I feel terrible when someone I consider an acquaintance gets me a gift and I haven’t thought to get them one. Try and establish from the off that you’re only getting presents for family and long-term friends that you spend the most quality time with, then no one can be left feeling red-faced!

2. Set a budget

You can’t devise the perfect Christmas plan of attack until you know exactly how much money you have to play with. Debt Remedy can help you draw up a budget and figure out how much surplus income you have each month. Once your living costs are accounted for, you could then start putting aside something small every week.

Take a look at your gift list and set a limit for each person you’re going to buy for. Children tend to be more expensive – big surprise! – but you can get away with allocating smaller amounts for adults. Let’s face it, most of us are feeling the pinch right now, so most people will understand if you can’t push the boat out.

3. Buy one present per week

If you take care of one person’s present per week, you could have your Christmas shopping nearly or completely done by December. Imagine that! Finally, you can be one of those smug so-and-sos who tell everyone in a 100-yard vicinity that they got the Christmas shopping done ages ago.

Remember to stick to your budget, and compare prices where possible. Our pals at MoneySavingExpert.com have a fantastic Amazon Discount Finder widget that conjures up bargain gift ideas based on what you can afford. What will those guys think of next?

If you do order online, be sure to log into TopCashBack and do all your online shopping via the website. This way you can earn a couple of extra coppers while you spend.

4. Check the 2-4-1 deals

Normally we would advise caution when considering a 2-4-1 deal, but with some forward planning you can get your gift-buying wrapped up in no time. Home Bargains, B&M and Argos come to mind as some of the great places to tick off at least two presents for the kids. They also have great deals on bath sets, cosmetics and wrapping paper too!

5. Make a gift, make a saving

You don’t need to be a craft expert to make a lovely gift from scratch. All it needs is a bit of creative know-how.

6. Check your loyalty cards

If you’re canny with your loyalty cards, you can reap some big savings come the Christmas rush. When was the last time you checked your Tesco clubcard balance or your nectar points?

My mum in law saves her nectar points up all year round, then uses them in one go for the big Christmas food shop! Many of our Facebook followers do the same thing. If it’s too late to build up a bank of clubpoints this year, just start again come January. At least Christmas 2017 will be taken care of!

If you’re driving home for Christmas, why not try cutting down on petrol costs now and saving the difference in a savings account or jamjar? Even an extra tenner to spend at the pumps come Christmas Eve is bound to help.

8. Don’t procrastinate!

I can appreciate the stubbornness that comes with not wanting to give in to Christmas mania too early. It’s all too easy to think that by putting it off until December, we’re actually avoiding being swept up by it all, when in actual fact the opposite might be true. Starting your Christmas shopping now means less running around like a headless turkey later – surely that’s something to be merry about!

How early do you start the big Christmas shop? Are you a last minute Christmas Eve shopper? Tell us in the comments!

Rachel Connor has been with the charity for over 8 years, starting in Helpline before joining the MoneyAware team in 2012. Rach enjoys travelling, video games, watching anime, reading and creative writing in her spare time (currently writing a Young Adult fantasy series). She had a previous life as head writer on Cartoon Network's Ed Edd n Eddy and as a copywriter for LivingSocial. She's also written comics and graphic novels for the animated series Regular Show.

Worried about money?

What’s MoneyAware?

MoneyAware's part of StepChange Debt Charity. We're dedicated to providing money-making, money-saving and budgeting advice and tips for those managing on a tight budget. We also highlight debt news issues that affect those living with debt.

StepChange Debt Charity help 620,000 people a year with free debt advice and a comprehensive range of solutions.

Sign up to our email

Want to take control of your money? Trying to avoid debt? Get helpful money-saving and money-making articles in your inbox every month to help your budget.

Helping you become debt free ...

"I wish to thank your staff for all the great help they gave me when I was in so much debt. They were a pillar of support to me." (Leslie, Essex)

We link to external websites where they contain relevant information for our visitors. We’re not responsible for the content of these websites, or any infringement on your data rights under data protection regulations by any external website provider.Privacy noticeCookie policy